Misjudging Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici

Some people never cease to surprise me, not with their insights but with their lack of respect, their careless misjudgements and their apparent disregard for historical context or factual accuracy.

I was dismayed to read the recent article published in the Times of Malta about Malta’s former prime minister, Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici. What should have been a reflective and respectful acknowledgement of a statesman’s contributions turned, instead, into an exercise in distortion, rife with inaccuracies, misrepresentation and, most alarmingly, a tone of dismissive contempt. At best, the article reflected ignorance; at worst, it was a thinly veiled attack on a principled man who never wavered in his beliefs.

Mifsud Bonnici was not a man of political vanity or personal gain. He was honest, humble, incorruptible and unwavering in his defence of social justice and workers’ rights. In a time of profound national division and political turbulence, he remained steadfast in his principles, most notably in his commitment to workers’ rights, equality and effective social justice.

His premiership came during one of Malta’s most difficult political periods, a time that, tragically, continues to be interpreted through the binary lens of political rivalry rather than through mature and nuanced historical analysis. Mifsud Bonnici was no opportunist. He did not seek popularity; he sought progress. He did not speak for the powerful; he spoke for the voiceless.

He was recognised for this, as evidenced in 1987 when the Labour government lost the election by just 4,785 votes, followed by a smooth transition of power after 16 years in office.

Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici’s premiership came during one of Malta’s most difficult political periods- Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca

His contribution to the Industrial Relations and Employment Act, even after stepping back from active party politics, remains a testament to his lifelong commitment to fairness in the workplace and the safeguarding of workers’ rights. It was Mifsud Bonnici who proposed over 80 amendments to the bill, not for political gain but out of a sincere desire to protect workers and strengthen the legal framework of employment relations in Malta. Lawrence Gonzi, then minister for social policy, did not brush these aside. On the contrary, he welcomed and implemented many of these proposals, recognising their value and fairness.

Why, then, should a man who contributed so constructively to our nation be met with ridicule or revisionism?

Is it wrong to advocate for free and fair access to education, even in Church schools, simply because the context of the time was difficult? Can we not distinguish between intention and method, between controversy and conviction?

Even in death, Mifsud Bonnici’s humility shone through. He requested not to be given a state funeral, as he was never a man drawn to pomp or ceremony. And, now, when his family, notably his niece, requested that the funds for a statue be instead directed toward bursaries for students wishing to specialise in labour law, they honoured his legacy in the most fitting way. And, yet, this too became fodder for mockery, rather than admiration.

When we twist history into a simplistic narrative of “cowboys and Indians” we insult not only those who lived through those times but also our collective intelligence. Political history is not black and white. It is not the exclusive domain of one party’s mythology. It is a tapestry woven with complexity, struggle, missteps and progress. Mifsud Bonnici was part of that fabric, not as a villain, but as a man who never compromised on his core beliefs.

It is high time we mature in our political discourse. We must stop weaponising the past to score points in the present. We owe it to our history, and to those who shaped it, to be honest, fair and dignified in our assessments.

To misrepresent Mifsud Bonnici’s legacy is not only unfair. It is an injustice to truth itself.

Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca is a former president of Malta.